Top 5 greatest heel turns in the WWE and WCW history ft. John Cena

John Cena officially turned heel at the Elimination Chamber 2025 for the first time in over 20 years. The shocking move has taken the WWE universe by storm as not many anticipated it. Cena sold his soul to The Rock and attacked Cody Rhodes after winning the Men's Elimination Chamber 2025 match. It turned out to be one of the biggest heel turns in the history of Pro Wrestling.

Also Read: WWE Superstars who could make a shocking return at Elimination Chamber 2025

There are not a lot of moments where the heel turn was as impactful as Cena's at the Elimination Chamber. However, some of the top heel turns in the history of Pro Wrestling were highly impactful for the business of their respective companies. Most of those heel turns were received well by the fans as they were executed well. It is time to look at some of the biggest heel turns in the history of WWE and WCW.

Here are the top 5 greatest heel turns in the WWE and WCW history

5. Stone Cold Steve Austin teaming up with Vince McMahon

Stone Cold Steve Austin was WWE's face for over 3 years before he faced The Rock at WrestleMania 17. Stone Cold made it abundantly clear that he had to beat The People's Champ at all costs. His heel turn was teased in the lead-up to the match. What transpired was something not many anticipated.

While it was evident that Stone Cold could turn heel, what shocked the fans was the fact that he joined hands with Vince McMahon, against whom he stood up for years. Vince offered a steel chair, and Stone Cold gladly accepted the help and hit The Rock with it to claim a win. While Stone Cold's run as a heel wasn't good, his turn was great.

4. Vince McMahon screwing Bret Hart at Montreal

Vince McMahon unintentionally turned heel during the Montreal Screwjob event at the Survivor Series 1997. As Bret Hart's contract with WWE (Then WWF) ended and the Hitman wished to leave the company to join WCW, Vince asked him to drop the title at the Survivor Series in Montreal 1997 to Shawn Michaels.

Bret the Hitman was unwilling to do it for two reasons: Montreal was his hometown, and his relationship with HBK was not so good at the time. Vince found a unique way to strip the title away from Bret. He forcefully got the bell to ring, even when Hitman wasn't pinned. While Bret was screwed, Vince became a heel and it started a new era of WWE.

3. Seth Rollins joining The Authority to end The Shield

Seth Rollins turned against Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns on WWE Raw after Payback 2014 to end The Shield. After The Shield's win over Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton at the Payback, Hunter and Randy confronted The Shield on WWE Raw. As Hunter claimed, "There's always a Plan B," The Shield ended.

Seth hit Roman's back with a steel chair. As Ambrose was shocked to see and tried to retaliate, Seth hit him with the steel chair, too. Rollins joined the Authority and became responsible for the end of The Shield. What made it shocking was that Seth ended the Shield when many anticipated it to be Ambrose, following several such teases in the weeks preceding the moment.

2. Hulk Hogan joining NWO as the third member

Hulk Hogan left WWE in 1993 and joined WCW, a move which troubled the Stamford-based company's business. However, Hogan's reign in WCW started to get stale. His Babyface persona started to get repetitive, and the fans wanted to see a better version of Hulk. And that's how his heel turn was pitched in WCW.

Hogan joined NWO as its third member, a move not many saw coming. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, known as intruders to WCW, teased the entry of a third person to their group. At the Bash at the Beach in 1996, Nash and Hall faced Sting, Randy Savage, and Lex Luger. Hogan turned heel, which led to fans littering the ring with garbage, showing its impact.

1. John Cena selling his soul to The Rock

John Cena's heel turn in 2025 was something the majority would have never anticipated in their lifetime. The Leader of the Cenation Army is the biggest Babyface in the history of WWE. As 2025 is Cena's last year as an active wrestler, many expected it to be a fun ride where he would thank fans and have friendly feuds with his opponents.

But Triple H and Co. gave a shocker to the fans by turning him heel. John attacked Cody and sold his soul to The Rock. The fact that Cena was the favorite of the kids and the Women and chose to ignore everything made it such a hard moment to believe. It turned out to be the most shocking moment in the history of WWE.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Did John Cena turn heel at the Elimination Chamber 2025?

Yes. John Cena officially turned heel at the Elimination Chamber 2025 as he attacked Cody Rhodes and sold his soul to The Rock.

2. How did The Shield implode in 2014?

Seth Rollins hit Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose with a steel chair on WWE Raw after Payback 2014. He joined the Authority, which led to the Implosion of The Shield.

3. Did John Cena win the Elimination Chamber in 2025?

Yes. John Cena won the Elimination Chamber 2025 after eliminating CM Punk.

4. Did Cody Rhodes sell his soul to The Rock?

No. Cody Rhodes refused to sell his soul to The Rock. He claimed it was already sold to his title and the WWE fans. As Cody asked The Rock to f**k himself, Cena turned heel against him.

5. Why did Hulk Hogan turn heel in 1996?

As Hulk Hogan's WCW run as a Babyface got stale, he turned heel by joining Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form NWO.